Flare



Sept 10, 1929. w L, sHwELY FLARE Filed 1360.24, 1927 INVENTOR.

War/fer" L. 6/7/ 1/6 B V C? 2 E 2 I A TTOR E Y.

Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

WALTER L, SHIVELY, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. A

FLARE.

Application filed December 24, 1927. Serial No. 242,410.

My invention relates to flares and more particularly to flares of the parachute suspended type such as are adapted to be carried by and launched from airplanes for illuminating purposes.

An object of my invention is to provide a landing flare suitable for airplanes that will indicate to the pilot that the illumination will continue for a predetermined period.

A further object of my invention is to provide a flare that indicates by a variation in a characteristic of its light that its illumination will cease at the end of a predetermined eriod.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a landing flare having means combined with the main body of pyrotechnic material thereof for indicating by a distinctive color that the remaining material will emit 0 light for a predetermined period.

An important use of airplane flares has been to supply the necessary illumination for the pilots of aircraft in landing at night in places nototherwise illuminated. It may occur that an airplane is obliged to land either by reason of failure of the mechanism of the plane or of inclemency'of the weather. It will be appreciated that, under such circumstances, the ordinary hazards of effecting a safe landing are greatly increased. In addition to the hazards that are imposed by forced landings, there is a mental strain upon the pilot because of the anxiety that the illuminant of the landin; flare may be consumed before a landing is efl ected and thus leave the pilot in darkness at a critical moment.

Flares commonly used in connection with airplanes are adapted to burn for a period of approximately five minutes. It is obvious that this period of time cannot be closely estimated by a pilot whose attention is concentrated on the landing of his plane under difliculties.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate the danger that the illumination of the flare may cease without warning when the pilot is in a critical portion of the landing operation.

In accordance with my invention. l provide a landing flare of the parachute-suspended type that is provided with a body of pyrotechnic material adapted to emit a substantially white light for a suitable period for example, five minutes. This period of time wlll ordinarily enable a pilot to land his plane in safety. At any desired time before the pyrol cchnie material is consumed, a pellet of pyrotechnic material that is adapted'to emit light of a distinctive color is ignited and operates as a signal or warning to the aviator that the flare will continue to furnish ilhnnination for the predetermined period, which may, for example, be one minute. In order to provide the time intervals referred to above, the pellet may be embedded in the main body of pyrotechnic material of a fiveminute flare at substantially 4/5 of the distance from the ignition end.

The details of my invention will be desired n connection with the accompanying drawmg, in which I Figure l is a View in longitudinal section of a landing flare constructed in accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the flare of Fig. 1 in operation and suspended from its parachute.

A flare 1 comprises a casing 2 which contains an illuminant 3, an expelling charge 4, a fuse mechanism 5 for igniting the expelling charge. a parachute G, and a cable or line 7 for connecting the illuminant to the parachute 6.

The casing 2, preferably of sheet metal, has a detachable rear end cap 9 and is provided with vanes 10 for insuring propcr flight. The casing 2 is also provided with two suspension bands 12. each having a lag 13 adapted to be releasably engagcdby suitable devices on an airplane by which the flare is carried.

The illuminant 3 may be of any suitable or usual material adapted to burn slowly and to emit an intense white light.- for illumination. An example of such material is a mixture of magnesium and an oxidizing material. limbcdded in the illuminant I at any desired portion is a relatively small pellet 18 ot p vrotecl1- nic material. such. for example. as a mixturecomprising a combustible material and a red light. Other materials for emitting light v is of the same orvother color maybe used, if desired. 7

As shown, the pellet 18 is embedded aproximately 4/5 of the distance from the starting end of the illuminant, which location would cause it to be ignited about one minute before the end of a 5-minute flare. The location of the pellet may be determined when the illuminant is loaded in the usual manner by inserting the pellet after a certain portion of the illuminant has been loaded in its casing.

The ignition end of the illuminant is provided with priming material 19, the outer vside of which is provided with a quick match 20.

The front or lower end cap 21 carries the expelling. charge 4 and the fuse mechanism 5. This mechanism comprises a propeller wheel 22, having a shaft 23 that has a short threaded connection for rotation and axial movement in a sleeve 2 1. The shaft 23 is, however, prevented from any movement in the sleeve 24 by a suitable device on the airplane for clamping the shaft at an intermediate flat portion 25 until the flare is launched. The inner end of the shaft 23 has projections 26 for striking a startingcap 27 that is in contact with the expelling charge of black powder. The charge 4 is provided with a central opening therethrough for directing flame toward the quick match 20.

The parachute 6 is of usual construction and is connected by the cable 7 to the illuminant 3. The cable is coiled in an intermediate compartment and extends through a suitable washer or gasket 30 which protects the parachute from the flash of the ejection charge.

It may be assumed that it is desired to land an airplane at night and that no illumination is available other than that afforded by the flares carried by the airplane. A flare 1 is launched by the pilot by releasing the devices that engage the lugs 18. The flare 1 falls vertically with the propeller 22 downward by reason of the action of the vanes 10.

The propeller wheel 22 and the shaft 23 are free to rotate and to be moved inwardly with respect to the sleeve 24 and when the threaded portion of the shaft is disengaged, the spinning projections 26 strike the starting cap 27 and the latter ignites the powder 4- The expelling charge 4: explodes with sufficient force to expel the illuminant 3, the parachute 6 and the connecting cable 7 upwardly with respect to the casing 2. At the same time, the priming material 19 and in turn the illuminant 3 are ignited.

The parachute 6 quickly fills with air and the burning illuminant 3 is suspended at the H end of the cable 7, as illustrated in'liig. 2. The illuminant 3 burns with an intense white light that will illuminate the surrounding landscape for a considerable area which will enable thepilot under ordinary circumstances to effect a landing'within' the period of"illum-- tinctive color, such as red, whenthe flare has burned for approximately four minutes. This change in color, which is temporary, operates as a warning or signal tothe operator that approximately one minute is available for the completion of the landing. He is then able to decide whether or not the landing may be completedor whether itisadvis able to ascend and launch another flare.

lVhile I have shown and described the flare of my invention as being provided with a single pellet of a distinctive color, it may be advisable under certain circumstances to provide the flare with two pellets of different colors in order to advise the pilot more fully as to the progress of consumption of the pyrotechnic material. For example,it may be desirable to place a pellet of green material at substantially the mid-portion of the pyrotechnic material and a red pellet at approximately 4/5 of the pyrotechnic material to warn the pilot that a minute remained within which the landing must be eifected.

Instead of employing a separately formed pellet, I may use loose material for the same purpose which may be inserted during the loading operation, as will be readily understoo While the preferred form of signal to the pilot of an airplane has been shown and described as of the visual type, it is within the scope of my invention to provide signals of other types, such, for example, as an auditory signal that may be supplied by a pellet of explosive characteristics, and which may be substituted for a change in color. nals may be employed in connection with airplanes having mufllers or other suitable means for minimizing the noise resulting in their operation.

Such sig- Other fields of usefulness for flares. of the type'shown and described herein may be their employment for purposes of reconnaissance, bombing or photography. The warning signal will indicate the proper time to launch another flare in order that the illumination may be continuous without unnecessary over lapping 0f the operation ares.

Landing flares constructed in accordance with my invention operate eilicicntly and positively to warn the the illumination of the flares will continue of the successive pilots of airplanes that I for a predetermined period. The pilot can then be certain as to the period of illumination upon which he may rely to complete the landing and may decide whether or not it will be necessary to again ascend and launch another flare.

The foregoing and other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art relating to the operation of air-craft. The scope of my invention is not to be limited except as indicated in the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an illuminating flare, the combination with a quantity of illuminating material that is adapted to beignited," of signal means;

for indicating that illumination b said material will continue for a pre etermined period.

2. In an illuminating flare, the combina tion with an illuminant adapted to be ignited,

of means for indicating the beginning of a predetermined period required for the consumption of the remaining portion of said illuminant.

3. In an illuminating flare, the combination with illuminating material that is adapted to be ignited, of means for indicating when a predetermined portion of said material remains to be consumed.

4. In a landing flare, the combination with a body of illuminating material adapted to emit a substantially white light, of a pellet of material adapted to emit a colored light and that is embedded at a predetermined portion of said illuminating material.

5. In a landing flare, the combination with a body of illuminating material adapted to be gradually consumed and a parachute for suspending said material, of material embodied in said illuminating material for indicating by a change in color that illumination will continue for a predetermined period.

6. In a landing flare, the combination with a parachute, of pyrotechnic material connected thereto and adapted when ignited to successively emit substantially white light, colored light, and then White light for a predetermined period.

7. In an illuminating flare, the combination with a body of pyrotechnic illuminating material and a parachute therefor, of a body of material for emittin light of a distinctive color and adapted to he ignited by said illuminating material to serve as a warning that said illuminating material will emit light for a predetermined period only.

8. In an illuminating landing flare, the combination with a casing, a parachute, a body of pyrotechnic illuminating material connected to said parachute, a.. expelling charge for removing said parachute and said material from said casing, and means for igniting said expelling, charge, of a pellet of material embodied in said illuminating material and adapted to emit light of a distinctive WALTER L. SHIVELY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No 1,729,360. Granted September 10, '1929. to

WALTER L. SHlVELY.

It is herebycertified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1; line 69, for the word "desired read "described"; page 3, line 57, claim 8, strike out the word "landing"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of October, A. D. 1929.

M. J. Moore, Acting Commissioner of Patents.

(Seal) 

